BHUBANESWAR: Even as Congress and BJP stepped up their campaign against Minister of State for Consumer Welfare and Food Supply Sanjay Dasburma by making fresh allegations, the meeting of four Ministers including Dasburma with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hours before the latter left for New Delhi on Friday fuelled speculations in political circles.
Dasburma accompanied by Law Minister Arun Sahu, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das met the Chief Minister at his Secretariat chamber.
The meeting lasted for more than half an hour. Though they were tightlipped about the meeting, sources maintained that the Ministers discussed the farmers’ convention to be organised by BJD here on April 20 and other organisational matters as the Chief Minister will be absent from the State for five days.
Meanwhile, Congress and BJP demanded that the CBI should find out money invested in five companies of which Dasburma’s family members are directors. Senior Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra demanded an inquiry which, he said, will provide details about the proprietors of Nilachal Granite Private Limited, Nilachal Mining Private Limited, Team Media and Hospitality Private Limited, Nilachal Builders Private Limited and Technoshine Info Solution Private Limited and the turnover of these companies.
The BJP also demanded the CBI to find out sources of the investment in these companies, senior party leader Sameer Mohanty said.
Dasburma, however, refused to react to the charges. BJD spokesperson Pratap Jena came to the defence of Dasburma and alleged that the Congress and BJP have joined hands to defame the BJD. “Why is the issue of the vehicle being raised after one and a half years and how documents of CBI are with Congress politicians?” he asked.